Victoria's new chief deputy honors open door policy (w/ video)

The new chief deputy of the Victoria County Sheriff's Office, Roy Boyd, has a reputation for being the kind of leader who is accessible and promotes a culture of openness.

"The way I have seen him treat the people behind the scenes, he really does love them. He cries when they're hurt, goes to their family funerals and advises them not just about work but life," said Tracye Boyd, Boyd's wife.

Boyd was sworn in Monday.

In 2008, Aaron Moeller, who was an officer with the Victoria Police Department at the time, was going through a divorce. Boyd was a supervisor at the Victoria Police Department and asked Moeller to step into his office.

"He knew something was wrong," said Moeller, who is now a sergeant with the sheriff's office.

Boyd took Moeller on a drive, and together, the two had a man-to-man, heart-to-heart without rank or judgment.

"After that conversation, I knew that I could trust him, and that he would always have my back," Moeller said.

Boyd is the kind of leader who says he has an open door policy and means it, Moeller said.

"If I was stranded on the side of the road at 2 a.m., I know I could call him," he said.

Boyd, who worked at the Victoria Police Department for 20 years, describes leadership as "caring and providing the opportunity for others to do their jobs."

Boyd retired from the Victoria Police Department, where he served as the assistant police chief, in late April.

"I've known Roy all his career. As you well know, I've attempted to recruit him," Victoria Sheriff T. Michael O'Connor said at Boyd's swearing in Monday.

"As the sheriff said, he's talked to me about this opportunity off and on quite a bit over the years, and I see this as a wonderful opportunity to come over and assist the sheriff and the men and women of the sheriff's office to fulfill the mission that they're trying to accomplish," Boyd said.